Filth
by clautchy
Summary: Erwin Smith knows he's made the right decision in Levi. With Levi in the Survey Corps then maybe less people were going to die and maybe more people would want to join the fight. But there was one thing he couldn't predict - falling for the most arrogant, rude and deadpan dickhead he's ever met in his life.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Set a year before the fall of Shiganshina, or chapter one of No Regrets. Loosely follows the canon then it's all made up from here on out. Erwin is but a General at this point. Enjoy!

* * *

Isabel and Farlan knew his dream was to go beyond the walls. A vision, a ray of light that kept Levi on the path. Without that slither of hope – and on humanity's downfall, it was simply a slither – Levi was merely a lost mutt, a dirty and crazed animal of untamed anger and destruction.

And he really was a filthy mutt, inside and out. Isabel often thought Levi could have been somewhat attractive if it weren't for his too-gawky face, his sunken eyes and oily hair. His ears stuck out too much. Too much chin. Too _short_. And always covered in mud, shit, fleas. Then again, Isabel couldn't complain about that since she was part of the same garbage.

The three of them had spent a majority of their life knowing garbage – they were both surrounded by it and considered it. Even the poorest families living Underground called them garbage. Trash. It was not a new concept; it was not even particularly offence. It simply was what they were called and what they truly were. The word 'thugs', a more attractive name, was often labeled, but even that could not be entirely accurate. A thug was brute force; a thug had no feelings. Isabel had feelings. Farlan had feelings. And Levi? No matter how much he hid from his emotions and fought the world with anger, he had them too.

Which brought the matter entirely back to the wild dream that Levi clutched onto so desperately. No one needed to ask why, but it simply came down to the fact that Levi did not want to be garbage. If he joined the Survey Corps, went beyond the walls, then maybe his crimes would be made up for in fighting for humanity and not against it.

And unbeknownst to Levi, the air was shifting and a little bird had sung a song – a mutt was going to get his bone.

When Levi woke, his spine hurt. He sat up, rubbing his lower back to ease the pain from sleeping on hard rocks for too long. He wondered how hard it was to steal a mattress.

Golden rays of sunlight shone down on him. It was late. He groaned, standing up albeit awkwardly and muscles sore from the hard ground. Speckles of dust glittered in the air, disgustingly romantic. He would admit that he enjoyed basking in sunlight, and he liked that his base was rather a cave than a shack, yet it lacked beds and anything else useful. Still, it was _their_ base and everyone else was _jealous_ because they got the only sunlight in the entirety of the Underground. It was the only place that opened up.

Levi needed to piss. He rubbed the sleep out his eyes with the back of his hands as he made his way to a corner, unzipping his fly and pulling out his dick. He yawned, relieving himself.

"That's the most disgusting sound to fucking wake up to," a voice behind him growled, hoarse and pitchy. Isabel was filth enough to drink the same sewer water with him but she still complained about the habits of men. It was her fault for retaining decency when she wanted to make water.

"At least I'm not taking a shit," Levi replied coolly, zipping up his fly when he was done. "Give Farlan a kick in the face if he doesn't wake up in a minute," Levi said as he stepped over the creek that trickled through the cave towards his gear. He started strapping himself up, refraining from teasing Isabel as she went around the corner to piss.

When Isabel returned she promptly kicked Farlan, not in the face but in the stomach, and proceeded to strap on her gear with Levi. It was a long, arduous process, with buckles to tighten all over the body and maneuver gear that needed a gentle hand should it break – it was bootleg after all. They couldn't afford top dollar gear. Even the black market was too upmarket for their sorry asses.

Later on, when they were all geared up and ready to fly, Levi bumped into a prole. They were even wearing their hoods, and the prole was still stupid enough to think he could bring justice by educating the three of them on the etiquette of accidentally brushing past people. Levi knocked him down easily enough, with the help of Isabel's over-enthusiasm for hurting people and Farlan's calculated and decisive moves.

The song was in its prelude.

Levi and his gang ransacked a stall. They fought against another gang. They made business with the mobsters who could afford all those things off the black market and luxuries like whores and opium. It was another day, as far as any of them could tell.

Isabel drank from the canteen they shared among the three of them thirstily. "Isn't it nice to be able to drink fresh water?" she asked happily, licking her wet lips. "Remember before we got that cave? I think I would have really died if I had to drink any more of that shit water."

"Literally, you would have died," Farlan said. "We all would have. That's why we made sure we got the cave."

"I know that_, idiot_. I'm just saying it's nice that we get to drink good water."

"Yes, because the cave has fresh water running through it."

"I know," Isabel growled, "so we're not gonna die. Because sewer water has shit in it."

"That's why it's called sewer water."

"I know!" Isabel cried out angrily. "I'm only saying!"

"Shut up, Isabel," Levi said. Levi didn't command, Isabel knew that. He was their leader but the only time he ever gave orders was when they were in the air, when they needed the coordination.

Isabel poked her tongue out at him, "Fuck you."

"Fuck yourself."

"Gladly, want to watch?" Isabel retorted, sticking up her middle finger. She felt like she was treading water now, maybe sounding like she wanted to fuck Levi. She didn't, of course. He was an ugly son-of-a-bitch.

Instead, Levi ignored her. They walked down a mostly quiet street, save a starving dog begging for scraps from some kids.

"Let's fly," Levi said. The grappling hooks sped out from his maneuver gear and within an instant he had disappeared into the shadows above. Isabel and Farlan followed, spreading out on either side as scouts.

They couldn't have been in the air for more than ten minutes before trouble happened. It started with a sighting. Was it Military Police? It only took a moment to check the crest on their cloaks to see the trademark Wings of Freedom. The Survey Corps. The soldiers who risked their lives outside the wall to save humanity. Of course, that was the tagline. The reality was a waste of taxpayer dollars for men and women to have themselves killed.

But these soldiers had experience. They took down Isabel and Farlan, and when they were dragged back to meet with the leader of the team who hunted them down, Isabel knew hope was lost when Levi yielded.

All of their weapons were taken from them. Isabel managed to kick one of the bastards in the dick when he started a frisk search on her. Farlan and Levi didn't say anything at all.

One by one, they were lined up on their knees in the mud. Isabel could see the anger pulsating off Levi, the untamed, animalistic desire within him beginning to rise. He was ready to burst into flames, to bite and scratch and _maim. _

Levi's head was thrust into thick mud. Levi gagged, gasping as one of the soliders pulled his head back up. Levi glowered with intense hatred. "You bastard," he spat.

"Your name?"

Levi paused, trying not to shiver as the cold mud dripped down his back. "It's Levi."

To Levi's surprise, the leader, the blonde one, knelt down to Levi's level and smiled at him. "Levi. Won't you strike a deal with me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Levi didn't talk. He wanted to, or rather, wanted to break all their fucking necks, but instead he stayed quiet. When he accepted to the terms, Smith – that was the bastard's name that beat him at his own game – had him admitted to the hospital ward at the Survey Corps headquarters immediately for quarantine. Levi was humiliated by the whole ordeal, his clothes taken away from him and his entire naked body scrubbed clean by nurses. Then a doctor looked at him all over too, assessed how filthy he was and gave him pills for the cough and cream for the rash.

They cleaned his nails, too. Pulled off all the dead skin on his hands and feet then picked out the germs and dirt that had been collecting there for God knows how long. Then they stuck needles into his muscles and veins, testing for scientific names Levi had never heard of and taking his blood. Still, Levi never said a word.

When they had finished telling him how filthy he was, they measured all his parts and gave him new clothes. He didn't have the official Survey Corps uniform, not yet. He wasn't a soldier.

Finally, they took him to a room. It was small and untouched, but it was _his_ and that was more than he ever had. They brought him in a hot meal and he ate it quickly, stuffing his mouth until he had fat drippings dribbling down his chin. And the _drink_, he had no idea what it was, but it was the best thing he had ever had. It had to be expensive, maybe one of those Scotches or Whiskeys all the rich men drank.

It was three hours before anyone came to check up on him. The door creaked open, and the asshole Smith appeared at the doorway. _His_ doorway. It was his door now.

Levi was lying down in his cot. He had been concentrated on the ceiling for a while and was a little annoyed that Smith had interrupted him. He gave the blonde fucker an acknowledging glance, then returned his attention to the ceiling. It was surprisingly detailed, the plaster in the design of an elaborate wreath around the skirting. Levi had been counting the cracks.

Smith stood at the doorway for a while, maybe waiting for Levi to verbally invite him in. Taking the glance as enough, he took a seat and brought it up near Levi's bed, leaning back comfortably with his hands behind his head.

"I take it you are comfortable?"

Levi said nothing, gave a shrug.

"The medical team said they couldn't get a word out of you, either," Smith said, like it was some kind of joke. Levi wished the guy would leave him alone. He might have been friendlier if the asshole hadn't had swords at his friends' necks.

Smith picked up one of his bottles of pills from the bedside table. Levi wanted to snatch it out of his hands, tell him _it's not fucking yours_, even though he didn't even want to take the pills. But it was an excuse to punch him in the face.

"You don't look that sick," Smith smiled gingerly, reading the label on the bottle. "Looks like most of this shit's for just in case. But you do look much better now that you've freshened up." Smith put the bottle back. The opportunity to punch him in his stupid face was gone.

It was silent for a minute, Smith keeping a steady eye on Levi. Levi refused to take his eyes off the ceiling. He wasn't giving in to some hotshot pretty boy. Make it difficult, might as well.

"Levi," Smith sighed, "I need you to cooperate. I know this isn't the most comfortable of situations, but I would really like to trust you and for that to happen I need you to talk to me. We cannot make this work if you are unwilling to cooperate, otherwise you will be seeing the Military Police."

That pulled a string. "Still threatening me?" Levi turned his head, fire in his eyes. "You were going to kill my friends. What choice did I have?"

"Don't you want to join the Survey Corps, Levi? I saw how you moved. There's a reason you're here, and it's not because I forced you."

The answer was yes, he did want to join. In fact, the thought of going outside the walls made him ecstatic and it was something he hadn't ever felt. But he wasn't going to give Smith the satisfaction of being right.

"You tell yourself that, pig," Levi spat out the last word.

Smith rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "We can sit here arguing all day, if you want, but I simply don't have the time. Get up, I'll take you around the headquarters. You're going to become a soldier as soon as you can, and I'm making sure of it."

"And if I fail?"

"Then I lost ten bucks."

Smith stood up and opened the door, waiting for Levi. Asshole.

* * *

General Erwin Smith, as he was formally called, did not bother asking Levi to refer to him as General. Levi didn't respect him and didn't trust him – not yet, anyway. He hoped to change that, but the boy hadn't even been issued with his own uniform and 3DMG.

Erwin knew he was taking a gamble when he asked Levi to join the Survey Corps, however. Even if Levi could be straightened out into a good soldier, the question was whether his new comrades were willing to fight alongside him. But Erwin had seen the talent in Levi; totally unharnessed and full of passion.

But before he made him a soldier, he needed to make Levi a friend.

First, he took Levi around the grounds of their headquarters. In the central courtyard, a handful of soldiers were sparring to pass the time. Just behind the courtyard were the stables.

"You'll be given a horse too, for riding beyond the walls," Erwin told him in the hopes that Levi would lighten up.

"I hate horses," Levi said sullenly. He reared up defensively when one of the horses poked its head above the gate, nudging Levi's arms. "Fucking disgusting sack of shit."

Erwin rolled his eyes, but moved on. Instead, Erwin took Levi around the rest of the grounds where there was the opportunity to practice tactics for beyond the walls. Yet it was on the inside where the action resided.

"This is the mess hall, where you'll be eating all your meals. Breakfast is between six and seven, and dinner is from eight to ten."

Levi glanced around the empty hall, "Does it fit the entire Survey Corps?"

"Yes."

"It's a bit small."

Levi walked out of the hall and Erwin groaned to himself. As it were, Levi hadn't had one positive thing to say.

"This is the library," Erwin said as he ushered Levi into another room. "It's used for recreational purposes, but our scientific team is often here to find references and sources of history that might prove useful."

Levi bit on his lip, "Don't read that much."

It occurred to Erwin that maybe Levi didn't know _how_ to read, considering just how poor this boy was. It was also a possibility that Levi did not have parents to teach him how to read, either. Nevertheless, that would have to change. He had to read maps, instructions, write out reports and read ten more.

"It passes the time," Erwin said lamely. "Come." He took Levi up to his own quarters, then. "I expect I'll be seeing you quite a bit considering the reason you're here is because of me. And, if there's ever a problem, you talk to me."

"What kind of problem?" Levi asked suspiciously.

"Well," Erwin had to be careful here, "if you feel that your needs aren't tended to, or if you are uncomfortable with your treatment."

Levi glared at him, but he always glared. The tough-guy attitude he had been keeping up was a hassle. The act was so good it seemed Levi had no feelings at all, but Erwin had seen past that. Only fleeting, but it was there. Somehow, he had to get past that wall that blocked everyone from getting through. Erwin wanted to break though. He wanted to know the person behind the cold stare.

"Levi, sit down," Erwin gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Erwin resumed his own seat, giving Levi a steady look. When Erwin had Levi thrown into the mud Underground, he thought he was filth. He reeked of piss and blood and his body was crawling with disease. Now that had all been stripped off him, it seemed a layer had been peeled off Levi. His hair was soft, hanging down his forehead neatly. Erwin could see the tendons and the muscle poking out, lean rather than bulky. Even his hands, which were once black from dirt, were slender. He was _delicate_. There seemed no other way of putting it.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Levi snarled, breaking the silence.

"For someone who almost managed to slip from the grasps of some very well-trained men, you're very small."

Levi shuffled in his seat, "Yeah, what of it? Fuck off."

Erwin smiled, "There's no need to be ashamed of being small."

"I'm not fucking ashamed. There's nothing to be fucking ashamed about. Fuck you."

"Okay, but you can say that without swearing."

"Why? Fuck you. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. I'll say fuck as much as I fucking want. You fucking piss me off."

"And why do I piss you off?"

"You being all fucking calm all the time. You're rich and get what you fucking want. And your stupid fucking eyebrows."

Erwin wanted to laugh. Eyebrows? That was new. "How old are you, Levi?"

The sudden change of subject threw him off. Levi cast a wary glance. "I thought rich people all thought that was a rude question to ask."

"I'm not rich," Erwin said. "I only want to know. We have to write down your details for our records, anyway."

"I could lie."

"You could," Erwin shrugged, "but that wouldn't be in your favour. How old are you, truly?"

"How old are you?" Levi retorted.

"Thirty-three this year," Erwin replied coolly.

Levi hesitated. "Twenty-nine. I'm twenty-nine. I was born in June. I don't know the day."

_Twenty-nine?_ He looked nineteen, more like. His skin was still soft and unscathed. Even if his sunken eyes said they were fifty, Erwin couldn't believe it.

"How long are you gonna gape like a dumb fish at me?" Levi snapped, looking away from Erwin. Maybe he was embarrassed. Erwin only laughed. He was _totally_ embarrassed.

"You're twenty-nine?" Erwin simply said.

Levi's cheeks flushed and he stood up quickly. "I'm going back to my room. Screw you." He turned for the door.

"Do you know how to get back?"

"Don't need your help," Levi grumbled. "Fuck you, you and your dumbass eyebrows."

"A soldier usually salutes before his superior," Erwin reminded him playfully as Levi swung open his door.

"Here's your salute," Levi raised his middle finger at Erwin.

Erwin grinned, "Close enough." He thought Levi really did despise him, until Levi cast him one last glance, a secret smile tugging on the corner of his lips. Then the moment was gone and the sullen stare was back, then Levi had disappeared into the empty corridors.

Erwin leaned back in his chair, humming softly. Levi could have truly hated him, for plucking him from his friends and as he would put it, _turning him into a mindless soldier_, but there was something that told Erwin Levi wanted to join the Survey Corps beyond redemption. Maybe, as Erwin had once dreamed as a young boy in the training corps, Levi dreamed of freedom and glory too.

But there were layers to be stripped away, first. Levi was simply clay at this point.


	3. Chapter 3

The mess hall was a buzz, soldiers eating and drinking together and Levi was the outsider. He wasn't exactly sure what to do, come to think of it. Everyone else was getting trays and taking food from various pots and plates. But where was he going to sit? Truth be told, he didn't want to sit near _anyone_.

Instead, he stood by the mess hall entrance for a good five minutes contemplating whether he would skip dinner in favour of the silence of his room. He was still getting used to the sound of that on his tongue – _his room_. He liked knowing something belonged to him.

He sighed, then with a small act of courage strode over to the serving area and grabbed a tray. He kept his head down, trying to act natural, not be seen or heard. It was easier that way. Quickly, he scooped up potatoes and grabbed the first slice of meat he saw then stacked a plate up with vegetables. He would have taken more if he weren't trying to act inconspicuous.

Levi had already scouted for a table. Not drawing any attention to himself, he sat at the table furthest away from everyone else, utterly alone. He hunched over, pushing the warm food into his mouth too fast for him to chew. He knew he didn't have to, but it was habit. Underground, there usually wasn't a lot of food. And he felt a little pissed that all the while these privileged pigs had been served the very finest while thousands starved underneath their feet. He bet none of them even knew what it was like to be hungry.

Someone noticed him not too long after.

They approached him with ease, a friendly smile and a confident walk. Levi wiped his mouth with his sleeves, holding back a snarl.

"Hi!" the soldier said, a tall and well-toned man with dark eyes and brown skin. "You look a bit lonely, are you new?"

Levi wanted to say, "fuck off", but now wasn't the time. He nodded once, stiffly.

"Great!" The asshole was way too happy, too forced and smiled too much. Levi hated him for that. "My name's Rupert. I'm a first year too. Did you transfer from the Garrison? We had Emily transfer just last week."

The words _first year_ echoed in his brain and he remembered Number One Asshole Smith looking at him incredulously when he told him his age. Did this little bitch think he was young enough to be a _first year?_

His own thoughts were making him angry. He slowly rose from his seat, staring at _fucking Rupert_ dead in the eye. "Leave me alone, and I won't stab you with this fucking knife." He was holding the butter knife tightly in his fist. It wasn't as good as his collection of knives (confiscated) or his knuckle dusters (also confiscated) but any good throw with a blade no matter how dull could still do damage.

Rupert backed down, eyes wide, "Dude, I was just being friendly, I didn't –"

"Fuck you and your fucking friendly attitude," Levi spat. Then he said, "Shit." He was drawing attention. Heads had turned. People saw his face.

From another table, a female soldier stood up, "Break it up, you two. There's enough fighting outside the walls."

Rupert took a few steps back, "You're crazy."

That did it.

Levi often fell into a blur when he lost control. He didn't remember much, his fighting skills reduced to a messy brawl on the ground. Other soldiers joined, either in attempt to break it up or to fend for the dumbass first year. Levi managed to avoid most punches only by his good reflexes, but still copped a blow to the face and a wallop in the stomach that left him wheezing for a few seconds before he recovered. There were the sounds of bones crunching in the fray, limbs attacking and defending, voices shouting in a cacophony of noise.

Then it suddenly disappeared, left only with Levi holding the butter knife at a soldier's throat. Levi looked up, as did his victim, into the burning glare of Number One Asshole Smith. _Well shit_.

"Put down the knife, Levi," Smith said with conviction, yet softly. He didn't sound angry, but… disappointed.

Levi wasn't sure why he didn't just drop the knife. It would have made things a lot easier. Instead, he pulled his arm back then stabbed it into the guy's shoulder bone. He screamed in pain, blood pumping out of the gaping wound. Levi dropped the knife, now bloody, and three soldiers grabbed him from behind and held him in a deadlock. He looked up to Smith almost guiltily.

* * *

It was nothing but cruel and bitter silence in Erwin's quarters for a full ten minutes. Levi looked anywhere but at Erwin – at the ground and the ceiling and at all the small objects on his desk, but always careful to avoid Erwin's stare. Erwin wanted him to feel uncomfortable, to maybe make the guilt settle in his stomach and to realize the consequences of what he had done. To an extent, Erwin thought he really was dealing with a wild animal – or rather, a dog whose breed was domesticated but this particular mutt had gone astray.

Levi hadn't even started _training_. It was the first night and already Levi had caused severe injuries onto a number of soldiers including _digging a butter knife into someone's shoulder_. Fortunately, he hadn't severed any arteries. Yet Erwin was concerned about even bringing Levi outside the walls. If he could hardly stomach a friendly hello, then how was he ever to cooperate with anyone else? He had to follow orders and work as a unit.

"Levi," Erwin said finally. Levi still didn't meet his gaze. "I hope you realize what you've done."

Levi said nothing.

"I've taken a very big risk in taking you here. My squad and even _my_ superiors think that you are a very bad idea. They believe that there is no hope for you to become a soldier simply because you were raised in such a hopeless situation." He paused, waiting to see whether Levi would react. Again, nothing, so he continued. "I don't believe that. I think you have the potential and there's no doubt the talent isn't there. I want you to know that I don't think you're second rate, if that's what you're afraid of –"

"I'm not afraid," Levi interjected. His tone was less harsh, more honest.

"Okay, good. But already, you have a lot of emotions you're not very good at controlling. We need to address that, and I told you that I am willing to listen to anything you have to say. What happened tonight, I can report as a provoked incident. No one will be blamed. But if you do something like this again, then it will be harder for me to keep you here."

It was silent again, for a good minute. Levi wanted to do something to show that he was bored, impassive, like glance at his nails or sigh loudly. But he did none of those things because for some reason, he did feel guilty. The disappointment in Smith's eyes killed him and he was just starting to understand why: because Smith really did believe in him.

"Are you going to try, Levi? To be a good person? Can you do that for me?" Erwin asked.

Hesitantly, Levi nodded.

"Look me in the eye and say you'll try."

Levi raised his head, and for the first time the entire meeting Levi met Erwin's eyes. "I'll try," he said, not blinking.

"Good. Dismissed. I want you to report to my quarters at eight hundred hours tomorrow."

Levi stood up and headed for the door. He looked behind him, "What's the salute?"

Erwin stared at him, abashed. "The salute? It's…" Erwin rose from his chair. He put his right arm in front, his fist on his heart and his left arm behind. "You give your heart to humanity with your salute."

And like the mutt was learning how to sit, Levi copied Erwin's salute. Then he bowed his head, "General." He was gone after that.

_That was easier than I thought_, Erwin thought to himself.

The next morning, Levi was twenty minutes early at Erwin's door. In fact, Erwin was still breaking his fast at his desk hunched over a damned report when Levi strolled in (without knocking, mind). Erwin told him that soldiers had to request permission to enter rooms, which Levi snorted at but at least, seemed to remember for the next time.

While it wasn't exactly Erwin's field of expertise, or even in his job description, Erwin had taken it upon himself to be Levi's mentor and instructor. Sure, it meant late nights to finish reports, preparing strategies, filing, tax forms, but no one else was willing to help Levi.

Which was a little sad, as despite it all Erwin kind of liked Levi's company.

"In the Training Corps, the first thing they do is test your ability to balance in 3D air. But since I already know you can use the maneuver gear, we're going to start with some more advanced tests."

Levi raised a thin eyebrow to that. So, throughout the morning, Erwin tested Levi's reflexes; flexibility; strength; eye, hand and body coordination; even had him shooting targets at their shooting range. Not surprisingly, Levi perfected every test. Erwin was simply dumbfounded at Levi's reflex time – it was like he knew what was already going to happen.

After Erwin had forced Levi some food around noon (Levi had skipped breakfast in order to avoid the mess hall), Erwin read out various situations that Levi had to dissect. For example, if you were on flat ground and had to fight a Titan single-handedly, how would you approach the situation strategically? Critically, Levi was able to evaluate the methods of approach and come up with different tactics, but Levi was certainly no strategist. But that hardly mattered: Levi was going to be the one killing the Titans, not making the orders.

And finally, although Levi had remained quiet on the subject entirely, Erwin had Levi issued with his own 3DMG and Survey Corps uniform, cape and all.

"And it's mine?" Levi asked.

"All yours," Erwin nodded.

From the look on Levi's face, he was desperate to try the gear. "Put it all on. I'll wait for you in the quad."

When Levi approached the quad, Erwin was not going to deny that he didn't look like a true soldier. If Levi was short (which he was), then it certainly didn't matter when he wore the gear – his small frame bulked out with the gear and it clung to his body like it was part of him rather than an awkward contraption that it looked like on others.

"Good?" Erwin asked.

"Sturdy. Doesn't feel like it's gonna break in half."

"Well, you did have bootleg gear," Erwin pointed out. "Now, as you might notice, the quad is set up to be a course specifically for 3D maneuvering. The columns are designed for you to grapple on to. On the far side, you'll notice there are metal hoops. Some are quite large, some small. You have to guide yourself through all those hoops. In the centre you'll see a row of poles that progressively get closer. There, you crisscross in between each pole. And closest to us, is free space to test your speed – how quickly you can maneuver from one side of the quad to the other, how quickly you can get yourself into the air and get back onto the ground. We sometimes even take in a horse, to train the soldiers to maneuver themselves onto horseback from the air."

Erwin hoped Levi might look the slightest bit intimidated. Instead, he shrugged. "Sounds easy enough."

"Well," Erwin frowned, "it's not _supposed_ to be."

Levi gave him a look. _Now it's a challenge_. "Where do I start?"

Erwin decided to ease Levi into the tests, starting with the free space. He wrote everything down, the times and Levi's fluidity, skills and movements. But, being in the main quad had its one downfall: the space itself. It was entirely open, and the centre of the headquarters. It meant that every single soldier would often walk around the quad – or sometimes through it, when not occupied. And having Levi basically showcase his skill caught the attention of _a lot _of soldiers.

"Isn't that the crazy bastard who stabbed Reg with a butter knife?" Erwin overheard as he was noting down Levi's movements.

"Fuck me it is, and the guy can _move_."

When Erwin moved Levi to the more difficult tests on maneuvering (first, the poles), Levi even caught the eye of Squad Leader Hanji Zoe. She stood beside Erwin, watching Levi crisscross through each pole with avid fascination.

"He's not yours to test. You've got Titans," Erwin reminded her.

"But look at how he moves!" she said excitedly, "What was the time of that? She hovered over Erwin's notes. "I don't understand how someone can move that _fast_. You have to let me ask him a few questions."

"Ask all you want. But he might not want to talk to you."

"Oh, I'll make him talk," Hanji smiled.

Levi finished the rest of the tests with ease, even the smallest of rings proving to be effortless for him. Hanji was right: how _does_ he move that fast? Erwin had to repeat some tests simply because he couldn't believe the seconds Levi did it in. But then again, why not believe it? Anyone could tell that Levi _belonged _in the air, the gear truly an extension of his body, not just some stupid contraption. Levi reminded Erwin why their crest was called The Wings of Freedom.

It was simple: Levi could fly. In the air, he was weightless. There was no flaw in the movement, every obstacle adaptable and Levi relentlessly precise.

Levi landed beside Erwin, landing with cat-like grace. There was hardly a bead of sweat on him.

"Levi, your test results are remarkable."

"Who were you talking with before?" Levi asked.

"Hanji Zoe. Specialist scientific squad. Uh, and about your _results_," Erwin brought the subject back on hand. "I'm not complaining, in fact they're fantastic. But I have to ask the question: how do you move so fast? It was what caught Hanji's eye. She asked the same thing."

Levi shrugged. "Ask your soldiers why they move so slow."

"If you're manipulating your body movement in a certain way…"

"I don't know," Levi said impatiently. "I'm not the one with military training, right?"

Well, that was true. Which only made Levi an even more puzzling case. "I'm only trying to understand." He paused. "I'm not entirely praising you, either. Your skill is useless to us if you can't cooperate."

"I am cooperating right now," Levi grumbled. "You want me to get down on my knees and lick your feet while we're at it?"

"_No_, I'm not the army. Everyone around you is the army. When you're outside of these walls, you're a cohesive unit. Fight against it and the entire structure collapses."

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance, but held his tongue.

"Shower off and cool down, Levi. You've done well today."

Erwin couldn't help but feel like a proud mother hen when Levi saluted before taking his leave.

In the evening, when Erwin had resumed his default position at his desk with his shoulders hunched as he scribbled out memos, filed reports and stamped ten more. An untouched bowl of chicken noodle soup cooled beside him. He figured it could wait, since Levi had taken so much time out of his day.

What he didn't expect was another encounter with Levi. The door flew open, Levi donning a plain white shirt, black pants, a well-fitted blazer and dress shoes. He sat down in front of Erwin, picking up the bowl of soup.

"There's a mess hall for a reason," Erwin said lightly, looking up from his paperwork.

"Too many pigs," Levi said through a mouthful of noodles. God, it was like he had never eaten before.

"I'd watch who you call a pig, chubby cheeks."

Levi glared, "Fuck off." Broth dribbled down the side of his mouth.

Erwin just laughed. "Tomorrow, you're going back into the mess hall. I want you to make friends. They're your comrades, the least you could do is befriend them."

Levi swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Don't like people."

"Well, you keep showing up at my door, so I don't know what to make of that."

Levi blinked, pausing momentarily. "Were you gonna eat this?"

"Yes."

Then he shrugged and stood up. "There's a mess hall for a reason. See you tomorrow, Smith."

Erwin couldn't believe his nerve. "Erwin," he said automatically.

"Smith, Erwin, asshole, all the same," Levi left, salute absent. Then again, he wasn't being particularly formal from start to finish.

Mess hall it was, then.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Levi was certain he had an entire corridor to himself. He never saw anyone else. He preferred it, of course. It meant there was space to think.

He enjoyed a warm shower. It was still a luxury to him, the instant hot water. Yet it wasn't habit to shower, either. He had to remind himself to make it as part of his morning routine. Underground, he would go weeks without showering or even changing clothes.

Even the _clean towels_ were a luxury. He decided to dress in his military uniform, hoping Erwin would ask him to use the 3DMG again. He spent half the night cleaning and polishing his already-new gear, and the other half examining his blades and sharpening them to a perfect edge.

But when he approached Erwin's door, he was left at a loss when he found the door was _locked_. He knocked on the wood, hoping Erwin was inside. No answer. Levi swore, glancing around the empty corridor. What was he going to do? He shuffled down the hallway, peeked around the corner and saw no one. Everyone was in the mess hall, he assumed. He certainly wasn't going.

Levi had an idea. Erwin told him that he could only use the 3DMG with authorization, but an hour couldn't hurt. He made his way back to his room and strapped on his gear before taking off for the main quad. He passed a few soldiers but they paid him no attention.

Standing in the middle of the field, Levi surveyed the area above him. He only needed a second glance to figure out what he wanted to do. Then the grappling hooks shot out and he jumped into the air. He flew, twisting around the tall columns with ease then shooting around the edge of the quad to gain more momentum. He started to aim for the ground, and at the very last second pulled himself up, hurtling into the air in graceful somersaults.

He had barely been up in the air for ten minutes before he became aware there were people watching him. It wasn't that he was self-conscious, he just didn't want to draw attention to himself.

He descended, landing on his feet with perfect balance. He saw faces: curious and questioning, wondering who he was and what he was doing. Levi deadpanned them and started walking off the quad.

"So your name's Levi?"

Levi turned his head, the face familiar. She had dark, messy hair and thick-rimmed glasses with a hard jaw. It was the woman Erwin had been talking to yesterday. What was her name?

"What of it, Four-Eyes?" Levi remembered Erwin telling him to make friends.

"Hanji Zoe," Hanji held her hand out. Levi wasn't going to shake it, but she grabbed his hand and slapped it against hers anyway. "Scientific squad. You know, I saw you yesterday. I just have to ask about you. We can talk over coffee sometime."

"Coffee?" Levi said slowly, a little suspiciously.

"Yeah, tomorrow or something? I, just – physics is a little fascination of mine. I mean, the human body itself can only go so fast on its own, and even with the maneuver gear it still limits us, but you're an exception."

"Good reflexes," Levi mumbled sourly. "I don't really…"

"So tomorrow? Find me later. I've got to run – I've got these test samples that have just finished processing." Hanji started to walk away, "But ask Erwin, he knows me so it should be fine!" She ran down a hallway, and had disappeared as fast as she had arrived. Levi blinked. _What the fuck is coffee?_

When Levi turned around, people had started to crowd around him. _Oh no_…

"Excuse me," Levi muttered as he tried to push past one of the soldiers. He stepped aside and Levi hurried back to his room. He took off his gear, dumping it on his bed.

He lay down on the floor, staring at the ceiling. The floor was hard and cold and dusty but he didn't mind. It was calming, still, quiet. He stayed there for a few minutes, thinking of Erwin and Hanji and the soldiers he was supposed to call his comrades.

Then, he got up and did something he had never done before. He found his way to the hospital wing, where a man lay with bandages over his left shoulder. He stirred when Levi approached, started to freak and call for help.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Levi said, dragging a chair to the man's bed.

"Keep away from me you fucking crazy –"

"I'm saying sorry."

The man stared. "Sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry I stabbed you," Levi sighed, wondering if he should even try to sound a little less impassive.

"W-well, sorry _not_ accepted. You hurt a lot of people. I was only trying to help break it up!"

"We all have bad days," Levi said through a sigh. There were a million things swimming in his head, things he could have said to sound more sympathetic, more guilty and desperate for forgiveness. None of it came out, though. He was too stunted for feelings. Levi stood up, "I wasted your time. If you can't forgive me, there's no point being here."

He headed for the door.

"Wait."

Levi turned his head around.

"You're still an asshole, but… then again, everyone's saying you came from Underground. They're also saying you're the best at 3D gear. If you are, then I'll forgive you. Only because I have this stupid hunch you're going to be doing a lot of saving later."

"Saving?"

"Outside the walls. Everyone's talking about you. They say you're faster than a bullet. So when you go outside the walls, you'll be the reason why less people die."

_You'll be the reason why less people die_.

Sentimental. Levi bowed his head, wanting to say thank you but his throat suddenly felt dry. He left the ward, feeling a little ill. _Everyone's talking about you._

* * *

Erwin found Levi in the library. It wasn't that he had been _looking_ – he just thought maybe it was worth a shot to poke his head in the doorway. There he was, sitting at a writing desk with a paperback in his hands with a dull look on his face. Maybe it meant he was enjoying it, but that just seemed his default expression. It was hard to tell.

He sat down opposite Levi. "I heard about your spectacle this morning. Caused quite a stir, let me tell you. Everyone wants to know who you are. You introduce yourself with a fight and now you're flaunting your skills."

Levi glared at him. He pulled a piece of paper from a pad in the centre of the table and grabbed a pencil, furiously writing. He shoved the paper underneath Erwin's nose.

**SHUT THE FUK UP WHERE IN A LIBRAY**

Erwin couldn't tell if Levi was joking or not, but decided to play along with it. He wrote down something and pushed it across the table.

**I didn't know you could read.**

Levi rolled his eyes and wrote down a reply.

**no i just like lookin at all the pikshures u dik **

God, Levi's writing was appalling. Erwin scribbled a witty reply and pushed the note back.

**Your spelling doesn't lend you any credit. **

Levi wrote a reply back angrily.

**well SORY for not beeing so**** privilged fukface**

That did make Erwin feel a little guilty. Then again, at least Levi _could_ read and write, to an extent. He wondered if Levi taught himself to read or had someone to help him. Did he ever have a mother or father to tell him what the letters meant?

There wasn't a lot of space left on the piece of paper. Erwin fit in one last sentence.

**You should come to the mess hall tonight.**

Levi wrote over the entire page, making it difficult to read when he got the paper back.

**Y DO U ALWAYS CHANGE TOPICK?!**

Erwin screwed up the paper into a ball, "I still want you to come to the mess hall."

"No."

"I'll hold your hand if you're so afraid of other people," Erwin teased.

"_No,_" Levi repeated, a little more embarrassed.

"You're not eating my dinner again, I can assure you that. Look, it'll be fine. I'll introduce you to a few people, see if you can connect with any of them…" he trailed off, the look in Levi's face an expression of sheer disgust. "You sit there and I do the talking for you?" Erwin suggested instead.

"Maybe," Levi said. He stood up, leaving the paperback open and facedown. Erwin picked it up, reading the title. He laughed loudly, "Hah!"

_How to be a Gentleman: 101 Ways to Evoke Charm_

Erwin was still snickering to himself when he made his way back to his quarters.

The layers had been peeling away quicker than Erwin had expected. It felt nice, to try and work out what someone was like. And it was nice to see someone who had made a barrier between them and he world to finally start breaking through.

Erwin couldn't even believe his luck at the library today, either. Passing notes like teenagers in class – it made him giddy thinking about it. It was _A Moment_, with capital letters and all. It was shared and it was real. They teased and they joked, and like most instances it was cut short.

They were standing outside the mess hall and Erwin wouldn't deny that Levi's nervousness to meet comrades as friends wasn't _cute_. From the tough-guy who cussed every minute to mumbling and fumbling hands, it was almost hard to believe Erwin was talking to the same person.

"But I really can hold your hand, no one will judge you." _They might judge you, but I really can hold your hand_.

"I'm not a baby," Levi mumbled defensively.

"You're a baby," Erwin ruffled his hair. It was soft.

Levi patted his hair down quickly, "Piss off. Let's do this."

Erwin led him inside. He expected heads to turn. First of all, it wasn't often that Erwin _ever_ dined with his comrades. There was a reason he requested his meals be brought to him and that was related to the fact that he was always swamped with work. Secondly, and more notably, the Survey Corps were going to get a new opinion on Levi.

Erwin had spent a good portion of the morning talking to a circle of comrades he considered close allies and friends to treat Levi nicely – and simply human. Levi's small stunt in the morning made his job of putting Levi's reputation back on track a lot easier as well. These soldiers, after all, had seen blood and death. Seeing someone snap wasn't a rarity. And these soldiers were all, to an extent, outcasts. Even when he had been a teenager in the Training Corps, many had shunned him for wanting to join the Survey Corps.

Which was all fair enough since a lot of people died.

He quickly brushed the thoughts to the back of his head. Now wasn't the time.

It was moments like this that Erwin respected and totally admired eccentricity. "Hey, Erwin! Spend more time socializing with the plebs and you'll be out of a job!" An old friend, Nigel, yelled out.

"At least I'll be doing what I love," Erwin quipped, piling up his tray with food.

"What, you're not married to your paperwork yet?" Hanji called out.

"Wasn't working out."

When Erwin guided Levi to the table, Levi tried to sit right on the edge but no one was having any of that. They forced Levi to sit front and centre for everyone to crowd around. Erwin squished in beside him, the bench becoming more crowded than it already was. Erwin would have protested but his knee brushed against Levi's, and that was _perfectly fine_.

Levi probably recognized a number of the soldiers when he had been captured in the Underground.

"Hi, I'm Mike."

Erwin knew what was coming next. Levi stared at Mike in what could only be described as shock, getting the royal treatment – Mike had a habit of sniffing people he met.

"Can you smell Underground piss on him?" Rachel asked, a Squad Leader herself and almost old enough to be dubbed an _old-timer_.

"Trademark Victory soap, more like," Mike remarked. "And dust from the library."

"Bullshit you know that. Were you at the library?"

"Yes?"

"Told you," Mike said smugly.

Levi glanced at him, "You were in Erwin's squad."

"Outside the walls I've got my own squad. To get you, yeah. You tried to kill me, remember that?"

"You surprised me," Levi chided. "I usually notice people sneaking up on me."

"Taking it as a compliment," Mike shrugged.

It didn't take long for the initial excitement to die down. Everyone introduced themselves and soon the conversation drifted from names to all sorts of things – favourite foods and drinks, gossip, even politics. While Levi was mostly quiet, he interjected with a few sentences of his own thoughts albeit deadpan.

Of course, the conversation had to take a turn back to Levi.

"So I still don't understand how you survived so _well_ Underground," Rachel said. "There's so much starvation and illness. Did you just avoid all that?"

Levi considered the question for a moment. Erwin was ready to take over at any minute Levi felt uncomfortable or even threatened.

"I starved for a bit. Then I stole food. Then I stole other things. Once I had the gear it was easy to teach myself and it made surviving in that piss hole easier."

"You taught yourself how to use maneuver gear?" Hanji asked.

"I thought we were discussing this over… _coffee?_"

Wolf-whistles came from both sides of the table. Hanji waved her hand dismissively while Levi just looked confused. "For science!" she claimed proudly. "I do nothing more!"

"Four-Eyes, I don't know what coffee is," Levi said grumpily.

"Coffee doesn't exist _Underground?_" Hanji was going to faint. "It's a beverage of the gods!"

"Hanji doesn't wake up without at least two galleons every morning," Erwin chipped in.

Levi didn't seem impressed. "There's _tea_, but other than that it's alcohol on the black market or sewer water." At this, Levi took a sip of his own tea, holding the mug by the rim.

Hanji _tsked_.

Everyone chatted for at least another hour before people started to make their way back to their own quarters. Levi left with Erwin, and although Levi wasn't going to admit it, Erwin was sure Levi enjoyed himself.

Erwin did too. He invited Levi to stay in his quarters for a few drinks, and as it turned out Levi was a lightweight and got tipsy on one glass. Levi also turned out to be even more brash and abrasive when intoxicated and Erwin found this only to be incredibly entertaining. He really couldn't explain what he liked about it – the boldness of an attitude so blunt and indifferent to the world or maybe he simply liked that Levi wasn't showering him in manners and calling him _Sir_ or _General_.

At around midnight, Erwin kind of liked Levi's face too even when he was being sullen and complaining about _Military Police pigs_.

At 1AM, Levi had stumbled back to his own room and Erwin had crashed on his own bed, a little drunk and a little in love.


	5. Chapter 5

Weeks passed. The soldiers Levi had once so venomously despised started to become comrades in his eyes and his training began involving teamwork and tactical maneuvering.

Erwin would have liked to say that Levi had made friends, but that wasn't entirely true. He was naturally hard to talk to, difficult to be with. He liked to be alone. Yet despite his abrasive attitude, Hanji never missed a beat in striking up conversation and of course, every night, Levi would invite himself into Erwin's quarters.

It was nice and at the same time, frustrating. Erwin liked Levi's company for some unexplainable reason (almost everyone else had some sort of threshold for Levi's disdainful dialogue) but as the days clocked by Erwin was desperate to scratch at more layers. This time, it was what it was like to touch lean muscle, small bones, soft skin. It was lifting the sullen stare and finding someone smiling back. It was vulnerability, shared by raw touch.

Like an awkward teenager with a stupid crush, Erwin had done absolutely nothing.

To be fair, Erwin wasn't sure if Levi even had feelings that extended beyond vague respect and likability to other people. He probably desired going beyond the wall more than he desired another human being's touch. He didn't like being touched.

It would have been easy to ask. _Have you had a girlfriend?_ Even that would have answered a lot. A no could have meant a possibility or a confirmation of asexuality. A yes could also mean a possibility or a confirmation of heterosexuality. Either way, there was a _possibility_. But Erwin didn't ask because the idea of having a possibility was a risk. It was hope and distraction and Erwin had long accepted the fact he could die at any time in his life.

And anyway, the Survey Corps were going beyond the wall. In two weeks. And as usual, Erwin would be the one to announce the news.

It was in the mess hall where he delivered the message, in the morning where faces were puffy and tired. He spotted Levi drinking tea with Hanji, Nanaba and Mike.

Erwin crossed to the front of the hall, standing on an elevated stage. Everyone had noticed him. Some faces had become pale. Others were serious, knowing the news that was going to be shared.

The entire hall became deathly silent. Erwin didn't even have to say anything.

"Good morning," Erwin started, a little lamely. "You all probably know what I'm going to say, but as always the following etiquette applies," Erwin opened the folded piece of paper. "In Commander Keith Shadis' place, I here act as speaker for his orders, signed and authorized by Commander Keith Shadis of the Survey Corps, Commander in Chief Darius Zackly and myself, General Erwin Smith.

"In two weeks time exactly, the Survey Corps are to head beyond the walls with the mission to create further sentry points on the North East sector from Shiganshina for development of human expansion. The request for scientific advancement from the Fourth Squad led by Squad Leader Hanji Zoe has been rejected on the reason of –"

"What the _fuck?_" Hanji screeched, almost knocking her chair over as she stood up. "But I fucking _said_ –"

"_Hanji_," Erwin said, "sit." The command was clear and simple, and slowly Hanji returned to her seat. He gave her a sympathetic look, knowing the setbacks it could cost her.

"As I was saying, on the reason of priority. At this point in time, Commander in Chief Darius Zackly wishes to focus on human expansion and to risk dividing the army to gain scientific knowledge on Titans seriously cuts back resources that could have been used to aid said priority."

Hanji looked like she was going to say something else, but Erwin saw Levi telling her something. Probably to sit down and shut the fuck up, most likely.

"In order to create the further sentry points on the North East sector, the scouting expedition will need the following preparation…"

The next half hour was spent detailing how many horses, carts, food supplies, water canteens and spare uniforms were needed. The squads were rostered in formation outside the mess hall, though little alterations had been made. Levi was placed with Mike's squad. Later on, Levi asked why he hadn't been put in Erwin's squad and Erwin replied with "Because they want to see you fight and kill Titans, and you won't be doing that in the safest position of the entire formation."

While Levi hadn't made any more complaints, Erwin knew something was amiss. As soldiers tensely prepared for the long haul beyond the walls (cleaning their gear, regular workouts...) Levi disappeared from the weights and the work-outs into his room for the better half of two weeks, brooding more than usual and absent at random times from the mess hall. He started visiting Erwin less too. It didn't take long for Erwin to start missing the oddly houred visits from Levi during the day and night. He would sometimes glance up from his paperwork in the hope that maybe Levi had slipped in and was making himself comfortable on the couch or pouring himself a glass of whiskey from Erwin's cabinet. But none of that happened.

All those layers that had been scratched away were coming back, like tough animal hide. The desire to grab Levi by the shoulders and shake him was strong.

Two days before the Survey Corps was scheduled to leave, Erwin understood Levi's behavior.

"I can't believe you would fucking do this. I don't even have the patience to even _pretend_ to be calm because I'm still trying to understand what kind of fucking idiot would make such a stupid decision in _stealing five hundred taxpayer dollars!_" Erwin growled, glaring down at Levi. "I _trusted_ you. I thought you were ready to do this, and instead you do something so fucking idiotic as _stealing_! Do you not realize we're going beyond the wall in two days?! Or is that why you did it, because in reality you're nothing but a craven bastard?"

Levi looked down at the floor, shoulders hunched as he sunk into the chair in front of Erwin's desk. He shrugged.

"What did you even do with that money, huh? Whores and drugs?"

"No," Levi muttered.

Erwin groaned. "You fucking idiot. This might ruin me. You're off to the Military Police, no doubt. I'm probably going to be demoted for having such a fucking _threat_ brought into the system. Maybe they'll just throw me out onto the streets too!"

Levi said nothing.

"Look up. That's an order."

Levi raised his chin, irises flicking up to Erwin. He was tense, tendons poking out of his neck and fists clenched.

"Another order. Answer this question. What the fuck did you do with that money?"

Levi bit on his lip. He shrugged again.

"_Answer me, Levi_," Erwin said warningly, his own fists tightening. He was ready to punch him in the face. Didn't Levi realize that he didn't have to be alone? That Erwin fucking cared? He didn't _want_ Levi to be a fuck up.

Levi leaned forward in his chair, a glare plastered all over his face. "Bite me."

"You son-of-a-bitch," Erwin grabbed at Levi's collar and pulled him up from the chair, both men leaning over the desk in angry huffs. "I'm going to make you fucking talk. I don't care how fucking long we spend in this room."

Their angry stares locked in a contest of sorts, then Levi, teasingly, said, "Do you treat all your comrades this way, General?"

Maybe it was the atmosphere. The screaming, the hot temperature of rage and hotheaded fury clouded Erwin's judgment. With Levi's breath warm next to his face, and the flush of being _mocked_, well, it did something.

Erwin literally knocked heads with Levi, forehead aching and nose pressed against nose as Erwin smashed his lips against Levi's. For the first few seconds, jaws were clenched in a strange heated kiss, Levi's eyes wide open as he started to process what was going on. Then, Erwin moved his jaw gently, bottom lip sliding over Levi's. Levi's shoulders dropped and to Erwin's surprise Levi was kissing _back_, slipping his tongue in as Erwin opened his mouth.

Tongues clashed in the first instance, the awkward moment of remembering how to kiss and rediscovering the feel of it in a person entirely new. It was a little sloppy, teeth banged once or twice, but it didn't matter. There was a buzz, the excitement of spontaneity and passion.

But it was becoming painfully obvious of the rather large desk in between them. To fix the problem, Erwin held Levi's jaw in his, keeping their lips locked as he shifted around the desk as subtle as he could. Levi leaned into him, desperate to keep the kiss alive. Once Erwin got his hips past the last corner, their arms pulled into each other, body against body. Erwin touched his shoulders and his arms then tugged at the front of his shirt while Levi grabbed at his neck and in a bold move lifted his knee in between Erwin's legs.

Erwin let out a breath of hot air into the kiss, the temperature in his cheeks moving to the tightness in his pants. The stray knee began to make circles and Erwin made a sound in the back of his throat. Before his own knees went, he lent his hips onto the edge of the table, allowing Levi more space between his legs. Erwin had to arch his back over to reach down to Levi's mouth, and Levi stretched his neck and jutted his chin up to do the same. Levi bit gently onto Erwin's lower lip and pushed his knee further up into his crotch, massaging and rolling over Erwin's now obvious boner.

"_Fuck_," Erwin moaned, for an instant breaking away from Levi's mouth. When Erwin went back for Levi's lips, he could feel the smirk. The fucker. He wanted to make Erwin scream.

Then, Levi trailed kisses to Erwin's neck and his hands had made their way to the buckle on Erwin's belt, impatiently pulling as he made circles with his tongue on Erwin's skin.

_Knock knock knock_.

Whatever Levi's plans were, they diminished in the very second someone's knuckles rapped upon Erwin's door. He pulled away and dropped back into his chair all in one very fluid movement, patting his hair down as a final adjustment. Erwin straightened his clothes, the saliva on Erwin's lips and neck tingling in a moment of hyper-awareness.

"Come in," Erwin said as best he could, standing up straight as the door opened.

It was the Commander himself. He was totally oblivious.

"Have you sorted this mess out yet?" he asked, glancing to Levi whose eyes were glued to the floor.

_I've probably only made more of a mess, really,_ Erwin thought to himself. "Coming to an understanding, I would say," he replied lightly, not trusting his own voice.

"Well, I want the situation sorted. We're still going to take this mutt on the expedition with us, however. Only after I've seen him out there will I decide what to do with him."

Erwin just nodded.

"Anyway, I want a word with you alone. Levi, return to your room." The Commander hardly even glanced to Levi as he got up from his chair and walked to the doorway, all the while keeping his head low with strands of his wispy hair obscuring his eyes. He left and closed the door behind him.

Erwin took his own chair, wondering if he could pay attention enough to listen to a word of what the Commander had to say. He started building a small grudge against the man, only because he kept thinking of what Levi was going to do if they hadn't been interrupted.


End file.
